Question from Sunday, August 19, 2012

If you know something you did in your past was not the right thing to do and you don't repent but want to how do you change your heart?  Sins from out past can severely debilitate our ability to grow spiritually if we are not careful.  Most people have a past they regret, or at least a particular sin they regret.  In order for someone to be truly repentant over a sin, they need to experience what the Bible calls, "godly sorrow."  The Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 7 writes to the church in Corinth about a particular situation that was similar to the one you address.  Here's what he said in 2 Corinthians 7:9-11, "...yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter."  Worldly sorrow simply says, "I am sorry for what I have done, but I'm not sorry enough to change."  Godly sorrow says, "I recognize the gravity of my sin and wish to repent (which means turn 180 degrees in the other direction) and conquer this sin once and for all through the power of the Holy Spirit."  If you want to really change your heart, then consider if you have been experiencing godly sorrow or worldly sorrow up to this point. If you are experiencing godly sorrow, God will justly forgive and forget about it.  1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."  Satan wants nothing more than for you to carry that guilt and think you will never be forgiven.  As long as you feel that way, Satan has you convinced your sin is too big for Christ to forgive.  Luke 15 contains three parables from Jesus that indicate God's forgiving heart and desire to bring someone back to wholeness.